She accused her successor Nawaz Sharif of pursuing an aggressive nuclear policy and warned that Islamabad should not) cross its limits in this regard.
Confirming western reports that Pakistan is going ahead with its clandestine nuclear program Benazir said Pakistan’s nuclear potential had been sufficient to provide a deterrent against any possible attack by India.
Bhutto said president Ishaq Khan had considered her a security threat and kept her in the dark about the country’s nuclear policy.
Last October the Bush administration had suspended economic and military aid of about 560 million dollars on the suspicion that Islamabad was making nuclear weapons.
Pakistan denied the charge saying that its nuclear program was only meant for peaceful purposes. The U.S. suspicion was reinforced when Islamabad refused to permit inspection of its nuclear installations by international monitoring agencies.
Terming the suspension of U.S. aid to Pakistan as “disastrous” Bhutto warned that if Islamabad’s present regime did not change its policy it could lead the country to international isolation.
Bhutto maintained that Pakistan should not unilaterally sign the NPT as such a move would deprive Pakistan of the only bargaining card for exerting Pressure on India to sign the treaty.
Bhutto who is leaving next week on a five-day trip abroad was of the view that the threat of nuclear arms proliferation in South Asia should be dealt with in conjunction with mutual reduction in convention forces.
India could take on Pakistan military in “desperation” since the developments in Jammu and Kashmir were getting “out of control” she said.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 6, 1991
